6 MAY 1905, Page 25

Miss Badsworth, M.P.H. By Eyre Hussey. (Longman and Co. 6s.)—In

spite of the admirable pluck and determination of the heroine of this novel, the reader will feel inclined to paraphrase Touchstone and cry : " It is the first time that ever I heard `breaking up of foxes' was sport for ladies 1" Very few people object to women following hounds, but when it comes to a woman acting as huntsman, and actually carrying the hunts- man's duties out to the end, it is impossible not to experience a sense of disgust. Women, like doctors, are tacitly bound in honour to protect and cherish life, and the woman who defies this silent obligation shocks both our tastes and our morals. Apart from this blot, the account of the dilemma in which the will of her malicious brother places an excellent maiden lady is extremely diverting, and the lady's niece, the huntswoman who is the object

of the above diatribe, is nevertheless an attractive personage. The book, excellently illustrated by Mr. G. D. Armour, can best be described by the adjective " breezy," and lovers of hunting may find some tantalising consolation' in its pages during the months which divide them from the sport which lends their existence its chief delight.